this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2024
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[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

i always find these kind of statements and comics weird, because like.

If the plane is your own, this would also signal the sound of protection and defense, which is an objectively good thing, if we're classifying dying due to a plane as a bad thing.

There are two sides to the coin and i guess this is either shitposting memes, or people never think about the fact that like, you can also just have a military.

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 5 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Most people don't like living near even civilian airports. Active duty flights would've usually happened nearer to the front, and modern flights often happen from aircraft carriers anyway.

Much more common for people to hear are shows of force, like the States do for holidays, airshows, and large sports games.

The comic is making fun of the fact that an airshow idolizes machines of war. Not all airshows focus on military craft, but most of them do, often being held at military airbases.

As cool as they are, it's good to remember that those machines are instruments of death, and often used against people of no immediate threat. Regardless of the necessity, I don't think that's something to cheer for.

tbf that's mostly because they're really fucking loud, all of the time. Military air fields are probably quieter for longer periods of time lol. Although still rather loud im sure.

Active duty flights would’ve usually happened nearer to the front, and modern flights often happen from aircraft carriers anyway.

to be clear, this wouldn't matter, we're talking about airshows, most people living near the front lines are going to be gone anyway. And even if we were to grant this point, it still wouldn't diminish my statement. national pride is a weird thing.

The comic is making fun of the fact that an airshow idolizes machines of war.

i mean sure, but im pretty sure humanity has always idolized the military and it's armies, as well as it's ability to project force. It's the stable of basically every great empire. Humanity seems to have an inherent connection with the ability of projecting force. It would be evolutionary advantageous, so that's probably why.

As cool as they are, it’s good to remember that those machines are instruments of death, and often used against people of no immediate threat. Regardless of the necessity, I don’t think that’s something to cheer for.

i mean sure, but morbidity is the calling card for a lot of things, the dahmer netflix series for example. Should we be treating that the same? Like to be clear, i don't disagree, but every time you pick up an angle grinder do you really need to think about how many people have been horrifically inujred by it and pray to the grinder gods for you safety? Or should you just be conscious of how you use the tool, and be careful with it.

and often used against people of no immediate threat.

also idk about this statement, maybe for the case of like the russian artillery units for example. I doubt that f-16s have been primarily used on like, someones dog. More than people of actual consequence. It's also really vaguely defined, which doesn't help.

[–] EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 7 hours ago

The allied forces planes (all made by america by the way, the lancaster is a british knock-off of the B17) were killing the members of the Axis forces, like the ukrainians and the Italians and the Germans that became nazis

[–] Synthuir@lemmy.ml 76 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

For anybody looking for attribution, this comic no longer exists. It was called Pictures for Sad Children, and it’s essentially lost media now after the creator had some issues and took everything (including IA backups) offline.

[–] THB@lemmy.ml 10 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Ahhh thanks for this!! For years I've specifically tried to find a comic about a cloud... Very simple but really affected me emotionally. Just a drawing of a cloud over and over with captions like "this is a cloud I drew" "I hope you like it" "I hope it makes your day better" or something.

99% sure this is the author. I thought I was going crazy since nothing ever gets deleted from the Internet, so I also appreciate the explanation.

About to dive into the archive someone else posted now to find i that cloud.

[–] flying_sheep@lemmy.ml 42 points 1 day ago (3 children)
[–] celsiustimeline@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 16 hours ago

Do you know if that's all of it? According to wikipedia, there was a book that someone was mailing around to anyone who wanted to read it and eventually people scanned it.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 3 points 18 hours ago

Holy damn I just couldn't stop reading.

[–] HowManyNimons@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago
[–] can@sh.itjust.works 5 points 20 hours ago

What? That was one of my favourites :(

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 0 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Kurdish villagers... interesting choice. The people that Saddam Hussein dropped chemical weapons on. Those warplanes helped free them from Hussein's oppression. That lasted until ISIS took over. Then those waprlanes helped the Kurds in fighting off ISIS.

I think the comic is trying to make a point but completely failing at it because the writer doesn't know anything about history... even recent history.

[–] BMTea@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Uh... the most recent history involves Turkey using US-sold jets to bomb Kurds in northern Syria.

[–] BigPotato@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

Hey now.

It's just old fashioned artillery they drop on the volunteer civilian aid workers in Kurdish Syria.

Maybe I'll live to get to say Rojava one day instead.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 18 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

I live sandwiched between military bases of all branches. I've lived with the sounds of warplanes and target practice most of my entire life.

These bases cut swathes through tribal lands, leaving whole areas uninhabitable due to live ordnance.

I knew some kids from the reservations and I'll never forget how casually they'd say with every blast they're reminded that they're occupied.

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

I knew some kids from the reservations and I’ll never forget how casually they’d say with every blast they’re reminded that they’re occupied.

wouldnt this technically be more of a form of pseudo occupation, since they also get benefits from being a US citizen, and also protection, from these same planes as well.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

It is a negotiated treaty from the 1800s, though it took until the 1970s to get clarity on a big part of their rights. But they're still on reservations and their ancestral lands are partitioned up. They've acquired some of those lands back through various ways: legal battles and just plain buying it back.

Though mind you I'm relating something I remember as a teenager, from teenagers with politically active parents.

But more importantly my point was to highlight a lens into a different perspective. They knew they would have been just like the Kurdish villager in the comic had those planes been invented back then. I had never considered that viewpoint at the time.

yeah, which i why i consider the use of pseudo occupation, as opposed to like, settlement or something. There aspects of occupation, but up to the current modern day, there are natives in positions of power within the US government, and those with sovereign control over their own land as well.

Although to be fair, most people didn't have very many rights until the 1970s lmao.

[–] HyperCube@fedia.io 81 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Always a struggle for me. I saw Canada's demo CF-18 at an airshow a few years back and was having simultaneous thoughts of "so this is why we can't afford clean water for our indigenous communities" and "HOLY SHIT IT SOUNDS SO COOL".

[–] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I see military spending as a necessary evil, it's like paying your insurance policy against the evils in the world. There will always be someone with a stick willing to beat someone weaker than them. So you could theoretically spend that military money on something "more useful", but if all your friends do that as well, you won't be able to enjoy that nice world for very long.

Also, people usually highly overrate how much a country spends on defense and underrate how much is spent on social security. Where I live, in Belgium, with a similar military budget as Canada (in terms of % of GDP) they did a survey once and asked people to estimate how many euros out of €100 of tax money went to the military and other things. People on average thought it was €6.1 to the military and €17.4 to social security. In reality the proportions are just €1.3 to the military and €37.5 to social security.

So I guess what I'm saying is: it's okay to enjoy the cool noises without guilt. You paid for it, it's necessary, and at least they're providing people with some entertainment now.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Canadians and Belgians can probably feel okay. As an American I'm disgusted by the waste. But that's kind of our bag and there's a long list of things that we waste money on.

[–] Wogi@lemmy.world 49 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Frequently those problems could be solved for the cost of a single aircraft.

You can't afford clean water for indigenous people because they couldn't buy one fewer aircraft.

You needed all 138.

[–] KillingTimeItself@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Frequently those problems could be solved for the cost of a single aircraft.

idk about this one, idk much about canada, but water infrastructure is more complicated than just "here's some money" and there's also the inevitable governmental over spending problem that seems to encroach everything.

it's also worth noting that we're comparing two irrelevant things here, it's like me comparing the worlds loudest yell to the sound of an f35 flying at altitude. Yeah they're comparable to each other. In the sense that they both make noise.

[–] Wogi@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

And when standing on the ground, the yell is louder, even though the military spent 80 million dollars on the jet. You'd be surprised how far cash can go in the right hands. (The right hands being critical)

I was actually basing my complaint on the comparitive cost of the B-2 stealth bomber, and the (at the time) cost of repairing the ogalala aquifer, estimated to cost about the same as the 2 billion dollar aircraft.

[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Can't afford clean water for indigenous people when you want to exterminate indigenous people.

[–] Peppycito@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 day ago

You don't need planes for that. You just need a systematic foot on their necks. You know, like we do for the rest of the poors.

We can't afford another plane because we need another highway first.

[–] General_Effort@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago

Huh. What a weird coincidence. Out of all the many communities in Canada, it just happens to be the indigenous ones that have to make do without clean water because of military spending. What are the odds?

I really like airplanes, especially the historic ones. The speed and sound is amazing. The engineering and skill in building and operating those aircraft is top-tier.

However, the airshows often extoll the fear and damage the aircraft can do to their targets, especially the modern ones. Really not interested in the bodycount or terror these aircraft inspire, but plenty of people enjoy the flex.

[–] scarilog@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's ironic, the pinnacle of human engineering in our war machines. But these technologies wouldn't exist if they weren't created for the war machines in the first place. Sad.

[–] Techranger@infosec.pub 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There's definitely an interdependancy there, but don't discount the incredible complexity of some cool civilan tech: James Webb Space Telescope, Mars rovers, ISS, the old Space Shuttle. Even mundane things like ocean-based oil rigs are chock full of amazing engineering.

GPS is literally from the concept of nuking the USSR. Thank your ass the cold war happened the next time you get lost, it's the only reason you aren't lost now.

[–] dwindling7373@feddit.it -2 points 1 day ago

I hate modern air shows. It testifies to such a lach of attention to what exists in the world.

[–] reallykindasorta@slrpnk.net -1 points 1 day ago

They’re having military practice nearby me today and my partner and I were just talking about how we both flinch when we hear military planes (small and fast) fly overhead even though neither of us has lived in a war zone.